New Democrats Continue to Push for Increased Workers’ Rights on National Day of Mourning
VICTORIA – New Democrat MLA Raj Chouhan made a private member’s statement in the legislature to highlight workers’ rights ahead of the National Day of Mourning, which occurs on Wednesday, April 28. 
Raj Chouhan
Chouhan, the New Democrat labour critic, noted that 1,036 Canadian workers died from work-related accidents or occupational diseases in 2008, which represents more than two deaths a day. Another 942,478 workers were injured or became ill. In British Columbia, 121 workers lost their lives to workplace injury and disease in 2009.
“These statistics are an unfortunate reality,” said Chouhan. “New Democrats continue to advocate for worker’s safety to ensure that tragedies such as these are averted.”
New Democrats are pushing for increased protections for workers, all levels of government to appoint special prosecutor in work-related cases that result in death or injury, and for increased inspections to ensure employers comply with the Worksafe B.C. regulations.
“Many of these deaths are preventable,” said Chouhan. “It is our collective responsibility to establish safe working conditions for all British Columbians.”
Chouhan will also be attending the following community events to highlight the importance of workers rights’ on the National Day of Mourning. At 7:30am, Chouhan will be at the Vancouver Art Gallery with the B.C. Federation of Labour. At 9:00am, he will be at Queens Park in New Westminster, and at 11:00am, he will be speaking at Burnaby City Hall.
Carole James and the New Democrats are calling on the B.C. Liberal government to act immediately to ensure protections for all B.C. workers, including the 17 recommendations made by the Coroner’s Jury in response to the tragic deaths of three farm workers.
